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ATSDR's Child Health Initiative recognizes that the unique vulnerabilities of infants and
children demand special emphasis in communities faced with contamination of their water, soil,
air, or food. Children are at greater risk than adults from certain kinds of exposures to hazardous
substances emitted from waste sites and emergency events. They are more likely to be exposed
because they play outdoors and they often bring food into contaminated areas. They are shorter
than adults, which means they breathe dust, soil, and heavy vapors close to the ground. Children
are also smaller, resulting in higher doses of chemical exposure per body weight. The developing
body systems of children can sustain permanent damage if toxic exposures occur during critical
growth stages. Most importantly, children depend completely on adults for risk identification and
management decisions, housing decisions, and access to medical care.41

ATSDR evaluated the likelihood for children living on-base or in the nearby communities, while
LAFB was active, to be exposed to base contaminants at levels of health concern. ATSDR did
not identify any situations in the past in which children were likely to have been exposed to
chemical contaminants at LAFB at concentrations that could cause health effects.

ATSDR did not identify any current exposure situations for children at LAFB. The base is
closed, and the small residential area on base is far from the few unacceptably contaminated
areas remaining on what is currently Loring Development Authority property. No exposure
pathways were identified for children living on the former LAFB property or in the nearby, sparsely populated, off-installation communities.

ATSDR identified no situations expected to occur in the future where children might be exposed to concentrations of chemical contaminants on or from the former LAFB property that would result in health effects.